Happy Anniversary Gay Games

August 31, 2009 is the 27th Anniversary of the Opening Ceremony of the first Gay Games held in San Francisco, California.

In 1981, gay athletes were a hidden and marginalized community within the greater marginalized and beleaguered LGBT community. Being gay and being an athlete was an either-or proposition: be a jock or be a queer. All of that changed when the athletes marched into Kezar Stadium in 1982.

Gay Games I, San Francisco, 1982 — In a world without email or internet, the fledgling San Francisco grassroots organization brings together 1,350 participants athletes, joined by 300 cultural participants, to compete in Gay Games I in 11 sports.

In Memory of Senator Ted Kennedy

Sen. Ted Kennedy speaking at HRC Equality Convention on 11 March, 2008.

ASANA Softball World Series

One of the Federation of Gay Games' newest members, ASANA, has just begun its latest Softball World Series in Madison, Wisconsin. Good luck to all the teams and best wishes to the organizers for a great event!

More info on ASANA HERE
More info of the World Series HERE

"Chrissy the Sissy Swims the Fly"

The latest blog from a person preparing for Gay Games VIII. Best wishes to Chrissy the Sissy! Keep track of Chrissy's blog via the link on the column to the right, or by clicking HERE.

Are you or your team getting ready for Cologne? Write kstevens@gaygames.org to tell your story or have us link to your blog!

Oddly enough, the thought of participating in the opening and closing ceremonies hadn’t occurred to me. At first I thought it was because I was so focused on my original motivation, the swimming (and the chance to sneak an up-close look at hot young guys from all over the world, with their shirts off), that I simply hadn’t gotten around to fantasizing about the parades.

Then I realized it was because, even though I had decided to compete in the Gay Games, I still didn’t believe I deserved to march in the opening ceremonies. That experience was reserved for real athletes. I never had been and never would be a real athlete. I was in a different category. No matter what feats of jockitude I accomplished, even if I succeeded in completing, in an international sporting competition, what is arguably the most challenging event in competitive swimming, that still wouldn’t make me an athlete. I couldn’t be an athlete: I was a sissy. Yeah, well fuck you, Brad Donaldson, captain of the football team, who made my life hell in 9th grade. What kinda shape are you in at 60?

Benefits of FGG Membership

FGG Membership benefits include:

• Gay Games Membership Rebate program
• Selection of future Gay Games Host
• Collaboration & support from FGG for key sport & culture events, tournaments, concerts, etc. (Four (4) FGG organisations benefited from this program in 2009.)
• Scholarships to attend FGG meetings (Eight (8) FGG organisations benefited from this program in 2009.)
• Growth of LGBT sport, culture, & Gay Games
• FGG mailing lists for promotional activities
• FGG Intranet services
• Access to historical data from past Gay Games
• Support from FGG Board & Assembly members to promote Gay Games

For more information, see: http://www.gaygames.com/en/membership/ or contact Membership@gaygames.org .

NEW !!! GAY GAMES VIII REBATE PROGRAM

As part of Gay Games VIII, which will be held from 31 July to 7 August, 2010, in Cologne, Germany, the international Federation of Gay Games (FGG) is pleased to announce a new program aimed at helping your organisation participate in Gay Games VIII.


The FGG is offering a financial incentive to FGG member organisations in the form of a membership rebate.

GAY GAMES VIII Incentive Rebate Program - Be Part of It! The FGG is offering a rebate directly to FGG member organisations based on the number of registered GGVIII participants.

Full member organisations will receive a free FGG membership renewal valued at 100 USD with 50 or more GGVIII registrations.

Associate member organisations:
o Multi-sport organisations (e.g. City Teams) will receive a free FGG membership renewal valued at 50 USD with 25 or more registrations.

o Single-sport organizations (e.g. a soccer club) will receive a free FGG membership renewal valued at 50 USD with 15 or more registrations.

To take advantage of this offer, your organization must be a member of the FGG on or before 30 April, 2010. See http://www.gaygames.com/en/membership/index.htm and download the Membership Application Form.

For any questions, please contact Membership@GayGames.org.

Be Part of It! www.games-cologne.com


Kate Rowe and Paul Oostenbrug
Membership Committee Co-Chairs
poostenbrug@gaygames.org , krowe@gaygames.org

Bookshelf: "Heroines of Sport" by Jennifer Hargreaves

Heroines of Sport: The Politics of Difference and Identity by Jennifer Hargreaves

In this unique account, Jennifer Hargreaves illustrates the ways in which the participation of women in sport across the world is tied to their sense of difference and identity. The book focuses on five groups of women whose stories have been excluded from previous accounts of women's sports and female heroism: South African women, Muslim women from the Middle East; Aboriginal women from Australia and Canada; and lesbian women and disabled women world-wide. A large section is devoted to the Gay Games.

Gay Games IV in the news?

From Rush & Molloy in the NY Daily News:

[New York Governor Gov. David A.] Paterson gave hope to disabled athletes Friday night at the Hamptons benefit Anne Hearst and Jay McInerney hosted for Bobby Shriver's Best Buddies. After paying tribute to Bobby's late, great mother, Eunice, the gov recalled how former governor Mario Cuomo once let him play on his basketball team in the 1994 Gay Games. "[Mario] threw a pass that even I could see," said the legally-blind Paterson. "I threw the ball, but someone hit me and I fell on the floor. Shockingly, the ball went in the basket." Paterson told all his friends to watch the evening news. Alas, his moment of Gay Games greatness was preempted by police chasing O.J. Simpson in his Ford Bronco. Said Paterson: "I just yelled at the TV all night, 'Kill him, kill him!'

Latest edition of Participate! newsletter out

The latest edition of Participate!, the Gay Games newsletter, has just gone out.

View the latest issue online HERE.
Subscribe to the newsletter HERE.

FGG Ambassador Chris Morgan wins All England powerlifting championships

Chris Morgan, the current Gay Games Powerlifting champion has added The All England Championship to his growing list of honours. He was lifting in the national competition, held at Moulton College, Northampton, England and made lifts of 230 kilos in Squat, 115 kilos in Bench Press and 230 Kilos in Deadlift, giving him an overall total of 575 kilos. He was once again competing at an increased bodyweight of 82.4 kilos weight.

Speaking about the competition, Chris said: ‘It’s wonderful to get back to winning ways and take my first major title since the Gay Games in Chicago 2006. The result was surprising after picking up so many injuries over this six months. I still feel there is still plenty of improvement to come as my figures this weekend were not my best ever and I’m operating in this higher weight class. Some of the new training methods that I’m using are starting to pay dividends and I’m now looking forward to the international season which is about to start’.

Chris continued: ‘I’m very realistic about my prospects for the forthcoming World Championships and it’s important not to get too far ahead of myself. I’m working to a long term plan, which will hopefully prolong my career and allow me to compete in more competitions annually. I’d to take the opportunity of thanking all my supporters and friends at the Gay Games for their recent support and look forward to seeing them at Gay Games Cologne next August.’

Chris’s forthcoming competitions are the World Deadlift Championship to be held in Bradford, England on the 13th December 2009, World Drug Free Powerlifting Championships to be held in Milton Keynes, England on the14th & 15th November 2009 and The South West Divisional Championship in Newquay, England on the 6th December 2009

Cologne Run of Colours

The Games Cologne promo team at the first "Run of Colours" organized with Gay Games VIII partner AIDS Hilfe Koeln.

Careful what you eat...

A good example of how athletes subject to drug testing need to be very attentive to everything they ingest or apply to their body. Nutritional supplements are renowned for having traces of prohibited substances, or even intentionally including substances that may or may not appear on the label, which you may or may not think to read in detail. Remember that nutritional supplements are not tightly regulated in the US (the source of many of these products), due in large part to the lax regulation of these products in the US (thank you, Senator Hatch). Over-the-counter medicine, nutritional supplements, herbal and "natural" products, creams, salves, etc. can all trip up unwitting athletes.

Extracts from Orlando Sentinel coverage of the Rashard Lewis incident:

Orlando Magic All-Star forward Rashard Lewis tested positive for a testosterone-producing substance, dehydroepiandrosterone, which is commonly known as DHEA, and will be suspended without pay 10 games at the beginning of the season.

[...]

Lewis, who will turn 30 on Saturday, said he took an over-the-counter supplement near the end of last season which he did not know contained the banned substance. He told the Sentinel the substance was in powder form and he mixed it into smoothies. He got it at a nutritional store, but did not specify the name of the store.

[...]

Dr. Gary Wadler, Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List and Methods Sub-Committee, said whether or not DHEA is categorized as a steroid depends on the governing body. The NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Agreement classifies DHEA as a steroid.

"DHEA is a compound which converts to androstenedione, Andro from the McGwire days, and that in turn converts into testosterone," Wadler said. "...It is very widely used in supplemental and complementary kind of medicines and it's in food stores."

As for DHEA's performance-enhancing capabilities, Wadler said the drug is "not very effective."

According to the Mayo Clinic, the human body naturally produces the drug and that natural production degreases after age 30. In addition to its muscle-building effects, DHEA is also used to treat adrenal insufficiency, depression and in the induction of labor.

PinkHockey promotes Gay Games VIII Field Hockey on Facebook

Host: PinkHockey
Type: Sports - Tournament

Price: http://www.games-cologne.de
Start Time: Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 9:00am

Location:
Artificial surface of the Landesleistung Zentrum

Salzburger Weg
Cologne, Germany

Email:roald@pinkhockey.com

More info HERE

"Koeln Taler" (Cologne Coins) support Gay Games

We're reposting this because we now have a photo of the yummy cookies.

As of the beginning of July 2009, bakeries in Cologne will be supporting the "Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010" with the new "Cologne Coins"®.

"Gay Games VIII, Cologne 2010" will be represented at the bakeries of Cologne on red and white shortbread coin cookies! The sale of the "Cologne Coins" started with the Cologne Pride on 3 July 2009. The red and white "Cologne Coins" are decorated with a wafer displaying the logo of Games Cologne. By purchasing and using these edible coins, the bakeries of the bakers' guild not only support the Gay Games in a symbolic way, but also financially. For each coin sold, the organizers will receive a small remuneration. The presentation and premiere sale will take place at the traditional bakery Zimmermann on Ehrenstraße; further bakeries are to follow.

The bakers of Cologne as well as the team members of the Gay Games Cologne are happy about this combined promotion: The bakeries will also continue offering the "Cologne Coins" after the CSD 2009 and will thereby help to advertise the next Gay Games Cologne in 2010. This sweet and tasty pastry with its classical and traditional colors of red and white will also be available as Cologne pastry after the games.

Team DC student-athlete scholarship winner profiled

From Metro Weekly's story on the winner of FGG member organization Team DC's Student-Athlete scholarship:

For Miller, being gay never influenced his drive as an athlete -- that is, not until he started to come out to his family and friends.

“It was about having to prove myself and show that I’m just as good, if not better, than a lot of the athletes on the team,” he says, “and that my sexual orientation didn’t really have an effect on my ability to swim or play tennis. I think people would doubt that, just because of the society we live in.“

Breaking such stereotypes was also the theme Miller chose for the essay portion of his Team DC scholarship application, a scholarship begun in 2008 when the local, volunteer-based organization that encourages members of the GLBT community to get involved with sports, awarded three scholarships.

The purpose of the scholarships, according to Team DC, is to recognize gay and lesbian student athletes who have "enhanced the perception of the LGBT community" by contributing to their particular sports. Both this year and last, the scholarships were funded by money raised at Team DC’s spring fundraiser, the Fashion Show & Model Search.

Read the full article HERE.

Be part of it!

Games Cologne at Cologne Pride

Photo from Mickebear.

President Obama's comments on FGG Ambassador Billie Jean King

Official citation read at the ceremony awarding Gay Games Ambassador Billie Jean King the Presidential Medal of Freedom last night:

Through her example and advocacy, Billie Jean Moffitt King has advanced the struggle for greater gender equality around the world. In an age of male-dominated sports, her pioneering journey took her from Long Beach, Calif., to the lawns of the All England Club and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Her athletic acumen is matched only by her unwavering defense of equal rights. With Billie Jean King pushing us, the road ahead will be smoother for women, the future will be brighter for LGBT Americans, and our nation's commitment to equality will be stronger for all.



Congratulations to Ms. King!

You're a woman? You're in New Jersey? You play basketball? Geena's looking for you!

2006 Gay Games women's baskeball gold medalist from Asbury Park, NJ is looking for other skilled basketball players to form a gold medal team from New Jersey for the 2010 Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany.

Currently working on local sponsorships and fund raising to defray costs.

Please forward this message to anyone interested in competing and/or reply to NJWBBC@gmail.com (New Jersey Women's Basketball Cologne)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Sincerely,

Geena

FGG observes the passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver

The Federation of Gay Games notes with regret the passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and wishes to applaud this pioneer in sport for all. Mrs. Shriver, seen in this photo at the 1973 Special Olympics at Chicago's Soldier Field, site of the opening ceremony of the 2006 Gay Games, leaves a legacy of a lifetime of work for the developmentally challenged.

Her greatest achievement, making the Special Olympics a perennial international event, has great resonance for the FGG. In her words at the opening ceremony of the first International Special Olympics at Soldier Field: "The Chicago Special Olympics prove a very fundamental fact, the fact that exceptional children — children with mental retardation — can be exceptional athletes, the fact that through sports they can realize their potential for growth”, we hear a message for all men and women, that whatever their history, whatever their innate ability, through sports they can realize their potential for growth.

The Straits Games 2009, Taipei

Click HERE for more info on The Straits Games 2009

DC rally for Gay Games IX bid

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com

Team Oregon profile

id Magazine features the amazing Team Oregon project:

Athletes from around Oregon will be joining the harvest for the world in next summer’s big news story supported in part by the financial backings of Team Oregon.

After six months promoting its vision a total of 82 members have joined in support of Team Oregon. About one quarter of these members are athletes planning to compete in the Gay Games. Fundraising still remains the goal as the Board recently added Matthew Kovenz and Erin Yates. With their previous experience in political fundraising and retail sales they will increase fundraising efforts to support the trip of a targeted 100 Oregonian athletes. “The biggest area of opportunity for success is communication,” states Kovenz. Providing the opportunity for Oregonian athletes to compete often resulting in life altering experiences through the Gay Games is key for supporters to realize and therefore support with their donations. On top of the $20 Team Oregon membership the board encourages community members to donate frequent flyer miles to lessen travel expenses.

Read the full article HERE.

Site inspectors in Washington

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
Site Selection Committee members Roz Quarto of New York, Darl Schaaff of Alaska and Dennis Sneyers of Chicago smiled and waved to the crowd as officials with the D.C. Gay Games Bid Committee welcomed them to Washington. The D.C. Different Drummers gay marching band and Batala Batala, a women’s drum corps, performed in the Site Selection Committee’s honor.

“It’s a great city,” Sneyers told the Blade after the rally. “They’ve got great venues, great support from the mayor and the City Council. From all the venues we saw, from the convention center to the universities, they were all wonderful.”

He added that the coalition of D.C. LGBT sports and business groups organizing the city’s bid under the umbrella organization Washington Gaymes, Inc., “knows what it takes” to put on a major sporting event.

“So it’s going to be a very, very difficult choice for us to make in September,” he said.

Read the full article from the Washington Blade HERE

Site inspectors in Boston

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com


The photo is fuzzy, but it's clear that it shows (l to r) site inspectors Darl Schaaff, Dennis Sneyers, and Roz Quarto, at the Boston community rally.

New Gay Games VIII banners!

Feel free to download banners (available in a variety of sizes and formats) like those on the right for your site or blog on the Games Cologne website.

Strong as a bear

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com

More Gay Games VIII posters coming soon!

Coverage of Cleveland site inspection on Spangle.

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com

Along with coverage of the Frivolity party, the article interviews site inspector Roz Quarto:

The next day I got some insight into what the delegates are looking for when I chatted with site-selection committee member Roz Quarto.

“We want to see if the city can deliver the venues, if the ‘Bid Book’ is true. Can the venues offered meet the specifications of each sport?” Quarto said as we toured potential Akron facilities. (The “Bid Book” is the 416-page document the Cleveland Synergy Foundation submitted to show its plan for the games.)

Roz Quarto of the Federation of Gay Games.Two other delegates rounded out the site selection committee: Darl Schaaff, from Alaska, and Dennis Sneyers, of Chicago. Quarto, an attorney from New York, was visibly excited by what she had seen so far: “I called my girlfriend and told her, ‘We need to vacation here!’ There is so much to do. I wasn’t expecting this.”

Read the article HERE.

Games Cologne at Amsterdam Canal Pride

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com

Over 29,000 registrations for World Masters Games 2009!

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
Congratulations to the organizers of WMG2009 in Sydney, where at least 29,169 athletes will compete in 28 sports later this year.

More info HERE.

Site inspection article

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com


Three Eastern U.S. cities are contending to host Gay Games IX in 2014. With the enthusiastic backing of each of their larger business, government and tourism communities, the cities’ respective committees will be rolling out the lavender carpet to woo the games--only one step in a process that can be harrowing.

Local organizations submit their initial bids according to formulae provided by the Federation of Gay Games.

Continue reading HERE.

FGG Amassador Esera Tuaolo on the University of Hawaii incident

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com

From KHNL:

Gay ex-NFL athlete weighs in on McMackin controversy
By Leland Kim - bio email

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (KHNL) - One of the most prominent openly gay athletes is praising the Western Athletic Conference and University of Hawaii for taking such swift action against Coach Greg McMackin.

Former NFL player Esera Tuaolo says slurs against gays perpetuate a homophobic atmosphere in the world of sports.

Hawaii native Esera Tuaolo played nine seasons in the NFL as a defensive lineman. He was a part of five professional teams in his career. The gay athlete did not acknowledge his homosexuality when he was playing.

"Back in the older days, people would say stuff like this and it would be slipped under the rug," said Tuaolo.

He says he was disappointed when he heard about the controversy surrounding Coach McMackin and his use of a gay slur in front of reporters.

"These are the things that we are fighting so hard to get rid of and to have someone of his stature to say something like that is not right, not right at all," said Tuaolo.

He adds, gay slurs cut a deep psychological scar in the psyche of a gay child.

"It pushes them further and further into depression, further and further into the closet," said Tuaolo. "It pushes them to commit suicide and take their own lives."

Some have criticized the media for giving the McMackin story national coverage, but Tuaolo says even gay jokes can further marginalize members of the gay community.

"It's definitely not right because any time you're discriminating against a culture, discriminating against someone's sexuality, it's wrong," he said. "Any time you hurt someone, it's wrong."

Since his retirement, Tuaolo talks to different groups about sensitivity training. He also wrote a book about his experience in the NFL, entitled Alone In The Trenches: My Life As A Gay Man In The NFL.

He says the collective reaction to McMackin's gay slur shows the world is becoming more tolerant.

"It's a positive thing as far as knowing that we're moving forward because society is stepping up to the plate," said Tuaolo.

Besides being a motivational speaker, Tuaolo is also a recording artist. He lives in Minnesota with his family.

Brian Sims to throw opening ball at Philadelphia Phillies Gay Community Night

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
Best wishes from the Gay Games Blog to friend Brian Sims!

From Outsport.com
It’s hard to believe that the Philadelphia Phillies Gay Community Night is already in its seventh year! But Larry Felzer has been working with the defending World Series champs since early 2003 building what is probably the most successful recurring gay outing at any pro sports event in the country. This year features lawyer and former college football player Brian Sims throwing out the opening pitch! He said in a statement (after the jump) that he’s focusing on the pitch: Hopefully he’ll best Baba Booey, but he couldn’t possibly top the opening pitch from several years ago. Yeah, bring it Sims!

[...]

“This is such a great opportunity for the LGBT community in and around Philadelphia to get together, relax, and enjoy a ball game with our friends and loved ones,” said Sims. “Now it’s just up to me to make sure I put some heat on that first pitch!”

Games Cologne team in Copenhagen

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
Just some of the enthusiastic team from Games Cologne who came to Copenhagen to compete and to promote Gay Games VIII.

Be part of it!

2 Days to 2010 Gay Games Registration and Chicago 2006 Reunion Party

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Sidetrack
3349 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL
CONTACT: kevin.boyer@games-cologne.com

One Year to Cologne!
2010 Gay Games Registration and Chicago 2006 Reunion Party
August 5, 2009 – 7 to 9 pm – Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted – Chicago

Join Team Chicago and Chicago’s LGBT sports and cultural organizations for a special “one year to go” party as Chicago’s LGBT community gears up for the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany (July 31 to August 2010).

Enjoy a hosted bar sponsored by Stoli and Hendrick’s Gin, watch the Chicago 2006 video, enter to win free prizes, and save 10 Euros on your Cologne 2010 sports or culture registration when you register on site (computers available). Local representatives of Cologne as well as Team Chicago organizers will be on hand to answer questions. This is a Chicago 2006 reunion party as well, so wear your Chicago 2006 medals, shirts, and bring your teammates and friends who volunteered. There’s no cost to attend. For more info on Cologne 2010, visit www.games-cologne.com.

WIN TRAVEL CERTIFICATES - FREE DRAWING: Zoom Vacations and Bartel Travel are both offering Gay Games Cologne travel packages for next year. Both are offering a $200 gift certificate good toward one of their packages as drawing prizes on August 5. No purchase necessary, but you do need to come to the party to enter and win. Thanks to them!

NEW INFO:
The following people will be helping to coordinate certain team sports at this event - taking names of interested players, etc. If you can't make the event, contact these folks to let them know of your interest so they can help match you as appropriate.

Softball: Bobby Hoeppner (hawkeyecub@gmail.com)
Volleyball/Beach: Christopher Pries (cmpries@aol.com) and Chad Carroll.

UPDATE: 200 people at Sidetrack! Go Chicago!

Site inspections underway

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com


Listen to Gay Games IX site inspector Dennis Sneyers interviewed on WCPN radio as the FGG site selection inspectors begin their visits of bidding cities.

Transcript, streaming, and MP3 HERE.

Inspectors are in Cleveland until 3 August, after which they will head to Boston (4–7 August) and Washington, DC (8–11 August).

Bidder websites:
Boston
Cleveland
Washington

Flashback: Gay Games V opening ceremony

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com

Join the sailors at Amsterdam Arena!

Gay Games Scholarship Program

The photo above shows some of the worldwide locations from which GAY GAMES SCHOLARSHIP recipients travelled to participate in the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com


The international Federation of Gay Games and Games Cologne are working together to offer scholarships to Gay Games VIII. The application form for GGVIII scholarships is available online. Applications are being accepted through 1 August 2009.

We need your financial help to make this dream a reality for Gay Games Scholarship applicants from around the world. Your contribution will help to bring a deserving athlete or artist to Cologne next summer for this life-changing experience. Our goal is to raise USD 100,000 or more to bring as many applicants as possible to Cologne, Germany.

Take a look at our GAY GAMES SCHOLARSHIP video !

This video shows the powerful and enabling impact that Gay Games Scholarships have made. To continue this important and life-changing program, we need your help.

Please make a donation via PayPal to support the Gay Games Scholarship Program's efforts to bring people to Cologne in 2010.

Look at the smiles on these faces. They are hoping you'll support the GAY GAMES Scholarship Program!

Best wishes to 2009 World Police and Fire Games

From http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com
As the World Police and Fire Games open in greater Vancouver, the FGG extends its best wishes for a safe and successful event for participants and organizers!

As a fellow worldwide event born in California in the 1980s, the FGG is particularly sensitive to the mission of the WPFG. In 1985, the World Police & Fire Games Federation, a non-profit organization, run by the Californian Police Athletics Federation, established the World Police & Fire Games.

Today, the World Police & Fire Games are a spectacular international sporting event, offering police officers, firefighters, customs and correction officers from around the world an opportunity to showcase their athletic excellence in over 65 sporting events.

Held biennially, the World Police & Fire Games will be held in British Columbia in 2009 and New York City in 2011.

The size and scope of the games continues to grow, with both the attendance and number of participating countries steadily increasing. The international community eagerly bids for the rights and opportunity to hold this exciting event.

More info HERE.

Windy City Times Interview with Ingo Schneider

Ingo Schneider is the Press and Communications specialist for Cologne Gay Games. Ingo gave this interview with Ross Foreman and the interview was posted on the Windy City Media Group website.

Ingo responds to questions on scholarships, sport programs, number of registrants, budget, and the world economic situation.

Click HERE to read the interview.

Gay Bashing in Sports Is a Common Occurrence

I know most of the coaches in the country are rooting for us to beat Notre Dame [..] Charlie gives this talk, 'We do something special at Notre Dame', and (the players) get up and they do this little cheer ... this little faggot dance.

These are the words of Greg McMackin, Hawaii football coach, said this past week.

Bob Warja of bleacherreport.com writes about these comments and how common this type of comment occurs in sports.

Click HERE for the full article.

Click HERE for information from "It Takes a Team" Education Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in Sport information. The web site is full of free information on dealing with homophobia in sports.